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The Book of Charlie

by David Von Drehle

Narrator David Von Drehle

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Length 7 hours

Language English

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Bookseller recommendation

“David’s study of Charlie White’s life focuses on how a man makes it to such an age with all his faculties and physical capacities still in place. In Charlie’s case, many of the anecdotes over his life span focus on his lens of seeing life’s challenges through a lens of comedy, joy and/or daring. ”
— Roxanne • Bookstore1Sarasota

Bookseller recommendation

“For seven years, David Von Drehle listened to his 102 year old neighbor Charlie White’s stories. Early tragedy helped form Charlie’s stoic nature because he had already learned that nothing is certain, so he lived his life with an optimistic, carpe diem approach. He lived most of his life in the Kansas City area where he faced and overcame tremendous obstacles. His mother had given him just one basic piece of advice that he lived by: do the right thing. Charlie White didn’t just survive a century of tremendous change and conflict but actually thrived. Over and over again, Charlie White bet on himself…and it almost always paid off. This is an uplifting book for our troubled times, a rewarding and enriching reading experience that gives us a lesson on how to live a long and meaningful life. ”
— Shirley • Watermark Books

Summary
About the author
About the narrator

One of our nation’s most prominent writers discovers the truth about how to live a long and happy life from the centenarian next door in this “original and highly readable account of a splendid American life” (The Wall Street Journal).

When a veteran Washington journalist moved to Kansas, he met a new neighbor who was more than a century old. Little did he know that he was beginning a long friendship—and a profound lesson in the meaning of life. Charlie White was no ordinary neighbor. Born before radio, Charlie lived long enough to use a smartphone. When a shocking tragedy interrupted his idyllic boyhood, Charlie mastered survival strategies that reflect thousands of years of human wisdom. Thus armored, Charlie’s sense of adventure carried him on an epic journey of the Jazz Age, racing aboard ambulances through Depression-era gangster wars, improvising techniques for early open-heart surgery, and cruising the Amazon as a guest of Peru’s president.

David Von Drehle came to understand that Charlie’s resilience and willingness to grow made this remarkable neighbor a master in the art of thriving through times of dramatic change. As a gift to his children, he set out to tell Charlie’s secrets. The Book of Charlie is a “genuinely original, formula-shattering” (Bob Woodward) gospel of grit—the inspiring story of one man’s journey through a century of upheaval. The history that unfolds through Charlie’s story reminds you that the United States has always been a divided nation, a questing nation—a nation of Charlies in the rollercoaster pursuit of a good and meaningful life.

Biography & Memoir History Self-Improvement Nonfiction

David Von Drehle is an editor and columnist for The Washington Post, where he writes about national affairs and politics from a home base in the Midwest. He joined The Washington Post in 2017 after a decade at Time, where he wrote more than sixty cover stories as editor-at-large. He is the author of a number of books, including the award-winning bestseller Triangle: The Fire That Changed America and The Book of Charlie. He lives in Kansas City with his wife, journalist Karen Ball. They have four children.